(GNB Desk): Pakistan and India have agreed to the strict observance of all agreements, understandings and ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and all other sectors, with effect from Wednesday midnight.
India and Pakistan militaries said on Thursday (February 25) that they had agreed to stop firing along the Line of Control ( LoC) in Kashmir, where such gunfire has been frequent in recent months, often killing or maiming people living in the area.
“In the interest of achieving mutually beneficial and sustainable peace along the borders, the two DGsMO agreed to address each other’s core issues and concerns which have propensity to disturb peace and lead to violence,” a joint statement said, referring to the military operations heads of the two countries.
According to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the DGMOs of the two countries held discussions over the established mechanism of hotline contact. The two sides reviewed the situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and all other sectors in a free, frank and cordial atmosphere, Pakistan’s Dawn paper quoted Radio Pakistan reported.
Pakistan’s military spokesman Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar, told private TV channels: “There has been contact between India and Pakistan on a hotline level since 1987. Frequently, the DGMOs of both countries stay in contact through this established mechanism.” He said that from 2014 there was a spike in ceasefire violations along the LoC. “Both the DGMOs have agreed that the existing 2003 understanding should be implemented in letter and spirit”.
Indian security agencies have said there were 5,100 instances of ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in 2020 in J&K, the highest in nearly 18 years, which claimed 36 lives and left more than 130 people injured.
There were 3,289 ceasefire violations by the Pakistan army along the border in 2019, they said. Of these, 1,565 ceasefire violations took place since August 2019, after India scrapped Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the erstwhile state into UTs.
Pakistan’s Special Advisor to Imran Khan on Security Affairs, Moeed Yusuf, said that there have been many “efforts” by their government to bring about the DGMOs agreement.
Speaking to journalists, Mr. Yusuf called it a “big win for Pakistan” to have brought India to talk about issues it had not wanted to previously discuss.
“This is Pakistan’s victory as we have wanted peace and wanted the ceasefire at the LoC. Why should innocent civilians die there?” said Mr. Yusuf, adding that he hoped that a resolution of Kashmir “as we would like it” will also follow. He also said that the agreement could not have come without “many efforts” and “pressure”, since India was not keen to have talks for many “months and years”.
“This is our success,” said Mr. Yusuf.
Read the Joint Statement:
The Director Generals of Military Operations of India and Pakistan held discussions over the established mechanism of hotline contact. The two sides reviewed the situation along the Line of Control and all other sectors in a free, frank and cordial atmosphere.
In the interest of achieving mutually beneficial and sustainable peace along the borders, the two DGsMO agreed to address each other’s core issues and concerns which have propensity to disturb peace and lead to violence.Both sides agreed for strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing along the Line of Control and all other sectors with effect from midnight 24/25 Feb 2021.
Both sides reiterated that existing mechanisms of hotline contact and border flag meetings will be utilised to resolve any unforeseen situation or misunderstanding.
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